Hundreds Line Up Before Dawn For BlackBerry Storm

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of customers lined up outside Verizon Wireless Communications Stores before dawn on Nov. 21, 2008, to be among the first to purchase the BlackBerry Storm.

The Storm went on sale for the first time and is available exclusively in the U. S. to Verizon Wireless customers.

Tech-reliant professionals who expect to stay connected to the office will be able to experience all of the security, reliability and familiarity of the BlackBerry platform with the new BlackBerry Storm -- exclusively available tomorrow in the United States to Verizon Wireless customers. The highly-anticipated BlackBerry Storm smartphone's powerful communications features, global connectivity and personal productivity advantages are designed to satisfy the highly sensitive needs of enterprise customers.

Business customers have relied on the BlackBerry platform for years for its ease of use and advanced security features that help protect their intellectual property. The BlackBerry Storm smartphone incorporates all of the trusted security features while giving customers the latest technology, including the world's first "clickable" touch screen for intuitive and efficient navigation.

"The growing mobile workforce has changed how IT managers and CIOs protect their intellectual property, no matter where their employees are located," said Eugene Signorini, vice president of Yankee Group's Enterprise Research group. "The BlackBerry platform offers inherent security features they expect, packaged with a proven wireless voice and data network, and the gold standard for enterprise e-mail."

Today's business climate includes a sizeable mobile workforce that needs to access proprietary information remotely. For the CIO, it means managing hundreds of devices connected to a BlackBerry Enterprise Server with behind-the-firewall access. The BlackBerry Storm offers a secure, reliable and trusted option for IT managers who need to ensure confidential information is delivered in a timely and efficient manner.

"IT departments and CIOs who want to meet the needs of today's growing mobile workforce will appreciate the fact that the BlackBerry security protocols are all available with the BlackBerry Storm," said Mark Bartolomeo, vice president of enterprise data sales for Verizon Wireless. "The comfort level with the familiar BlackBerry platform makes it easy for a CIO to decide the BlackBerry Storm fits the needs of employees and the company, delivering a strong return on investment."

The BlackBerry Storm is not only a stylish smartphone, it's also a workhorse for enterprise decision makers, helping them stay connected to the people and business information that matter most to them. With the BlackBerry Storm smartphone, business customers can connect globally in more than 200 countries for voice and more than 150 countries for data worldwide.

In the U.S., Verizon Wireless customers will benefit from the nation's most reliable wireless voice network and the pervasiveness of Verizon Wireless' reliable high-speed 3G Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) network. Incorporating the world's first "clickable" touch screen, the BlackBerry Storm lets business customers conduct research on the Internet, access their intranet and edit Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents directly on their BlackBerry Storm while on-the-go.

The BlackBerry Storm will be available beginning Nov. 21 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. To learn more, visit www.verizonwireless.com/storm.
About Verizon WirelessVerizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 70.8 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 71,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD).

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